Tool



July 118, 1944. w. SQ MILES ETAL 3 3 3 TOOL Filed Jan.- 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Street 1 a MA M W u gm 4 w X m 0 Q w w A July 18, 1944.

w. 5. MILES ET AL TOOL Fi led Jan. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 14 LIAM A f/LES A TQRNEY Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.)

TOOL' William s. Miles, Hastings on Hlldson, and Paul A.

Voigt, Bellerose Manor, .N. Y., .assignorsl to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 375,744

9 Claims.

Our present invention relates to improvements in wall construction methods, and more particularly, to improved means for applying securing devices to the projecting shanks of nails or other fasteners driven through facing and sheathing elements.

Referring to our formerly copending application, now Patent #2,293,743, issued August 25, 1942, We have described a method of erecting a wall or partition structure employing: a sheathing material of low nail-holding properties, such as the conventional fibre board. Shingles or other fastening elements are laid over the sheathing and nailed thereto, and securing clips or nuts are applied by means of a suitable tool to the nail shanks projecting from the rear face of the sheathing to retain the nails against withdrawal.

A principal object of the instant invention is the provision of an improved tool for use in the above referred to method, and more specifically, the provision of a tool which may be easily and rapidly manipulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the type referred to which exerts an increased gripping action on the nail shank. as greater pressure is applied. to the securing device or nut as the same is forced along the shank.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such tool in which the shank gripping means or claw element. is removable to permit replacement from time to time.

Our invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will. become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof whichv is to follow and to. the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a face elevational view, with parts broken away, of a portion of a wall during the construction of which the present invention is employed;

Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the rear of the wall shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig, 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2., illustratin th use of a modified type of fastener;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view on an enlarged scale of the type of fastener used in the construction of: Fig. 2; r

Fig. 5 is. a, perspective detail view on an enlarged scale of the type of; fastener used. in the construction of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is; a sectional view onan enlarged scale taken. on, the line, 6-6; of Fig. 2,-andillustrating one. stage. in the. operation. of the tool of the. in.- stant invention:

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, illustrating a further stage in the operation;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the tool of the instant invention;

Fig. 10 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of an element of the tool of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an end elevational view of the element ofFig. 1 0.; and

Fig. 12. is a sectional view similar to Fig.8 but with parts broken away, illustrating the operation of the invention with the modified form of fastener element. V

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a wall structure which, for the purposes of illustration, comprises an exterior vertical wall, but which, as will be understood, may equally well be a roof wall or an interior Wall of any suitable type. The wall shown comprises shingles l0 laid over sheathing I2 secured to suitable studs 14 in any desiredimanner, for example, where steel studs are used, by

the means shown in our'copending application- Ser. No. 372,434, filed December '31, 1940.

Sheathing I-Z comprises a material such as fibre board, plaster board, or the likefwhich, though readily adapted to. receive the shingle securing nails l5, does not have su-fficient nail-holding properties to permanently retain them. Nails 25' are preferably of the barbed shank type now' conventionally used for asbestos-cement shingles, but any suitable type or barbed fastener maybe used, for. example, threaded members such bolts or screws, the threads constituting the barbs desired for a purpose later described.

To secure the nails against withdrawal, clips or nuts l6 are employed. The clips or nuts may take various forms, two exemplary alternative constructions being illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. However, in each case the clips or nuts comprise a spring steel member including an outwardly bowed central section. In the form'shown in Figs.

2. and 4, the central section I8 is providedwith' permit force to be applied on the nut adjacent the nail or shank while allowing sufficient clearance to prevent interference with operation of the tongues 24 or 28. In the preferred embodiment of the instant invention,fltines 36 ofv jaw 34 constitute substantially 'right' angle flanges of a slotted arm 38, preferably integrally connected to an operating handle 40. Handle 40 drawal of the nail being prevented by the gripping action of the claw 52 upon its shank (see Fig. 7). Suitably, the lips of the claw are engaged beneath a barb of the nail as previously pointed out, but in view of the outwardly curved springy margins of notch 58, slippage is prevented in any event, as the downward pull of the nail on the margins brings them closer together'and increases their bite on the nail. Upon release of pressure upon handle member 4!], loop spring 43 moves arms 4| and 42 apart and the jaw and claw toward each other, whereby claw member 52 is released from its gripping action on the nail shank. The tool is then removed. Nut member i6 is retained in its spring pressed engagement against the sheathing by spring tongues 24 engaged beneath'the barb of the nail shank, or by a biting action with the nail shank if a smooth comprises anouter operating arm 4|, inner operating arm 42, and a connecting loop spring 43 preferably formed integrally with the arms. The inner arm 42 includes aforked extension 44. As illustrated particularlyin Fig. 9, the widths of extension 44 and arm 42 are substantially greater than that of slot 31 and are separated in part by notches 46 defining a connecting neck 48 dimensioned to move freely within slot 31 of arm 38. Projecting at substantially right angles to arm 42, and preferably struck from the material thereof, are spacing members .50 adapted to contact the rear of the sheathing as indicated particularly in Fig. '8 to locate the tool in proper operative position when the same is held in substantial parallelism to the sheathing. The free ends or feet of members 50 are suitably rearwardly curved as shown.

Forked extension 44 carries a removable cla member 52 (see'particularly Figs. 9, 10 and 11) formed of spring steel and including'flanges 54 shaped to define dovetail slots 56. Flanges 54,-,

and hence the dovetail slots, preferably taper slightly from a lesser width at the end adjacent:

a recess 58 to a greater width at the other end.

Fig. 9) and are arranged to be received therein, As will be readily understood, when the-spring metal claw member 52 is forced endwiseupon the tines of extension 44, it will be securely but removably retained thereon by reason of the wedg-.

ing action of the tapering dovetail slots on'the complementary tapering tines. The central portion of the claw member includes. the recess 58 defined by outwardly curved margins 60, including' preferably sharpened edges (see Fig. 11). The shape of slot 58 is suitably that illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 to adapt the claw to become readily positioned on a nail shank.

In the operation of tool 32, after one of the nuts l6 of a suitable type, for example, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4-8, inclusive, has been applied over a projecting nail shank l5, the tool is positioned with the feet of spacing members 50 preferably resting against the sheathing, and is moved forwardlyuntil tines 36 of jaw 34 overlie the nut l6 and the nail shank is in notch 58 with lips 60 in biting engagement with the shank and 7 preferably beneath a barb thereof (see Figs.

nut l6 into binding engagement therewith, withnail is used.

' As previously mentioned, the tool may be employed with any suitable type of securing nut l6 which is adapted to be forced upon the nail shank and maintain a fixed position thereon. Thus, Fig. 12 illustrates the use of the tool in the application of a nut of the type of Fig. 5, the nut being shown as forced to its final position.

Having thus described our invention in rather full detail, it will-be understood by those skilled in the art that these details need not be strictly adhered to, but that various changes and modifications will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of our invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What we claim is: l

1. A tool for moving a locking member on-a projecting shank, said tool comprising a jaw to engage said locking member to move the locking member along said shank, a claw member having opposed biting edges to grip said shank to prevent withdrawal movement thereof, handle members affixed to said jaw and claw, respectively, means operatively connecting said handle members for movement of said jaw and claw away from each other when said handle members are moved toward each" other, said means including a loop spring integrally connected to said handle mern bers to move them apart upon release of pressure thereon.

2. A tool'f or moving a locking rnember on 'a handle element connected to said jaw and lying at the opposite side of said jaw from said claw,

and spring means connecting said handle elements.

3. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said toolcomprising a jaw to engage said locking member to move the same along the shank, a claw member overlying said jaw and having opposed biting edges to grip said shank to prevent withdrawal movement thereof, a handle element, an extension of said handle elementicarrying said claw, a passageway in said extension, a second handle elementincluding an arm extending through said passageway and connected to said jaw, and spring means connecting said handle elements. 1.

4. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said tool comprising a jaw to engage said locking member to move the same 1 along the shank, a claw member having opposed biting edges to grip said shank to prevent withdrawalmovement thereof, a handle element, an extension of said handle element carrying said claw, opposed notches in said extension, a second handle element spaced from and extending in the same general direction as said first handle element, spring means connecting said handle elements at the outer ends thereof, and a forked arm extending from the inner end of said second handle element, the tines thereof passing through said notches and defining said jaw.

5. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said tool comprising a forked jaw to engage said locking member to move the same along the shank, and means to grip said shank to prevent its withdrawal during move-' ment of said locking member, said means comprising a forked member having tines of dovetail transverse cross-section and a replaceable claw of resilient metal, the claw having inner biting edges and outer channeled extensions defining. dovetail slots receiving the tines of said forked member in frictional locking engagement, and means operatively connecting said jaw and forked member.

6. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said tool comprising a jaw to engage said locking member to move the locking member along said shank, a claw member includ engage said locking member to move the locking member along said shank, a claw member having biting edges to grip said shank to prevent with-- drawal movement thereof, handle members affixed to said jaw and claw respectively, means operatively associating said handle members for movement of said jaw and. clawaway from each other when said handle members are moved toward each other, said means including mechanism for moving said handle members apart upon removal of pressure thereon, and means projecting from the handle member carrying said claw to space said handle member from a wall or the like through which said projecting shank protrudes. 1

8. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said tool comprising a jaw to engage said locking member to move the locking member along the shank, means to grip said shank to prevent withdrawal movement thereof, handle members affixed to said jaw and means respectively, means operativel-y associating said handle members for movement of said jaw and. first-mentioned means away from each other when said handle members are moved toward each other, said second-mentioned means including mechanism for moving said; handle members apart upon removal of pressure thereon, said first-mentioned means comprising a forked member havin tines of dovetail transverse crosssection and a replaceable-olawof resilient metal having inner resilient marginal portions and outer channeled extensions defining dovetail slots with saidtines received within said slots in frictional locking engagement. 3

9. A tool for moving a locking member on a projecting shank, said tool comprising inner and outer operating arms, a forked jaw carried by one of said arms to engage said locking member on opposite sides of said shank, and means carried by the other of said arms to grip said shank to prevent its withdrawal during movement of said locking member on said shank, said means comprising a claw including resilient, shank engaging, inner, marginal portions extending outwardly at an 'angle from the plane of the claw toward the plane of said outer operating arm, and means operatively connecting said operating arms.

WILLIAM S. MILES. PAUL A. VOIGT. 

